and the fbi updated the public on foreign efforts to influence our election and our governments work to prevent them. they announced iran and russia exploited the voter information to dissent the misleading e-mails with the multiple objectives on the divisions about americans and create chaos. iran, china, russia and others

may have different goals but they all share the same primary objectives and the confidence in our democracy and they are thrilled when the disinformation causes us to point fingers at each other rather than at them. the good news is we spent the last four years gearing up for this unlike the obama biden administration on whose watch even democrats admit we were called. the trump administration workede with congress and others to get us ready. the white house has imposed sanctions on russians who interfered in 2016. the department of justice, the department of homeland security and the intelligence community led efforts to strengthen and coordinate our defenses. and here in the senate the intelligence committee spent years studying whatha went wrong

in 2016 and published a 1300 page report with recommendations. in the last two years alone we passed more than $800 million to fund and support secure elections. they described last night they are being combated by the federal government and close coordination with state and local officials and private sector. it's being shared with the public as appropriate. even the washington democrats who spent yearsar talking about the threats. we've made huge strides. the junior senator for connecticut admitted we are

going to have a free and fair election because we spend money for the federal t government and the states to beef up protections. now, it's the ability to express basic confidence in the institutions should be contingent whether the candidates seem to be up in the polls. but regardless, that is the truth. i will close with one point i keep making, the project democracy isn't just experts and government buildings. also the duty that falls upon every one of us, every single citizen. at this point it's a patriotic duty for americans to be educated consumers of information. citizens who need information about voting should look to their local official sources but we should take a deep breath and realize that division,

disinformation and chaos are exactly what the adversaries want. we are all in this together. it was actually unanimous. as one cnn journalist stated last week, quote, let's be honest. inn another political age, judge amy coney barrett would be getting 70 votes were more in the senate because of her qualifications. it is supremely ironic that our democratic colleagues delivered through a temper tantrum what they should have delivered through a fair appraisal, the unanimous endorsement. they of course were not there. all last week, the legal and

judicial temperament the natione deserves in a supreme court justice were on full display. we saw the legal peers, fellow scholars and evaluators, students and clerks from across the political spectrum have praised this nominee and the very highest terms. and in just a few days, she will receive a vote on this floor. and iso anticipate we will havea new associate justice of the supreme court of the united states. that is exactly what the american people want to have, clear majorities of americans want to judge barrett confirmed. our fellow citizens that formed an opinion roughly two out of three want confirmation. the democratic leaders history is proving outside of the chamber as they have proven

inside. it is an ange angry and false statement that have failed to persuade the senate and failed to persuade the american people. day after day, our colleague from new york performed the same angry speech with the same falsehoods and forced aom vote n some pointless and permissible notion. the democratic leader is lashing out in random ways. a few weeks ago, he torpedoed a counterintelligence breathing for no reason. this week he blocked a pandemic rescue package and tried repeatedly to adjourn the senate for multiple weeks. today, i understand that he stood outside of the senate and shouted that democrats would be oboycotting the committee vote.

and the committee vote actually had already ended. i understand that some outside pressure groups have been bad badgering the democratic leader to act more angry. i'm just sorry for the senate that he obeys them. i'm sorry our colleague felt the need to publicly brag that he scolded the senior senator from california for being too civil. ..

>> they supreme court confirmations moved faster in the last 60 years. and then at the end of judge baratz hearings and today's committee vote. half of all the confirmation since 1916 have moved faster than that. half of all the confirmation since 1916 have a faster just as john paul stevens was confirmed in 19 days start to finish. sandra o'connor took just over a month after john adams lost

reelection the next was confirmed in a week. john adams after he lost election president lincoln got someone confirmed in one day. if judge baer is somehow the most partisan or politicized nominee ever? really? and also with a political operative in the court and after a one-stop competing with him and then to campaign

for them but this professor from indiana? who got multiple votes for confirmation to her current job just three years ago will be the most political ever? and in the previous century with the campaign chairman on the supreme court. that's pretty political. eisenhower but the governor of california who ran against him for the nomination on the court. that's pretty political. the great john marshall harlan from kentucky a guy named benjamin bristow.

and the grant administration i had to stand upon. in those days if you want to be president you couldn't admit it because you had to wait was being drafted. and benjamin bristow went to cincinnati with the gop convention to claim the nomination the appropriate choice after eight years of scandal it became clear after a few years one - - after some time that they cannot pull it off with his partner benjamin bristow through other

behaviors and amazingly enough but after president hayes was sworn in march 1877 euros john marshall harlan and not benjamin bristow who ended up on the supreme court. serving three is with great distinction and was plessy versus ferguson the supreme court in 1896. two and public accommodations and discrimination and then came up in brown versus board of education talk about political appointments. that was a politicalin appointment. and by any of the standards so

these are not really arguments the democratic leader said they were him can when they had the opportunity to fill the supreme court sees that it would be unfair to do so close to the election and then to debunk the system and the chairman did something unprecedented this morning and committee that is news to senator lee there's not too

republicans present. the chairman of both parties they have done the same thing. multiple. times. the democratic leader continues to misstate in 2016. when the very first for speech after justice scalia passed away. here is what i said. the senate has not had a vacancy in the election here with there is a divided government since 1888. that's we had been was a divided government. my friend may be emotionally invested thinking is that something else. but that is what i said with the confirmation 2016 supports confirming this. now.

everybody knows what's going on here and the democratic leader how he feels. and with that justification to declare war on the supreme court if democrats and when power. that's what this is all about. if he would against his wishes and then to divide the political left he stole the excuse to pack the court american people they know that terrible idea this is showing

support for judge barrett and overwhelming, overwhelming opposition to court packing. and to develop depended judiciary 1937 the democratic leader we support court packing am biden may call it a live ball that that is the announcement to the rule of law the senate majority will not let falsehoods right now we will not reward be bullied to do what is right and to do

our jobs.